Arranging a Funeral

Despite its inevitability, death is a rarely discussed taboo subject, which inhibits questions being openly asked and valuable lessons in coping, accepting and healing being learned.

Death rituals have been with us from the dawn of mankind. Our predecessors embraced both life and death with ceremony; rituals were central to everyday life. Births, coming of age, marriages, harvest, solstice, religious and spiritual festivals and of course, death were all embraced as was the emotion associated with them. Communities gathered to laugh and dance or cry and mourn together as was appropriate.

We encourage you to talk to your family about death. Perhaps you have a particular cultural or religious belief that is important to you. Or a wish for a special song or venue. Maybe you have passed a funeral cortege while with children and hoped they didn't notice. Children can bring light and innocence to the discussion - they are fearless and honest, and by not treating death as a taboo subject you are helping them to grow emotionally mature and capable when death eventually happens in your family.

When families or communities plan and involve themselves in a funeral service, and support each other and allow their feelings of love and loss to be expressed, then the journey through grief, to healing, to finding a new 'normal', begins.